The Role of Men in Bringing More Women Into Tech

Women are a minority in the workforce of tech. As a result of this, men, the majority in this field, play a very important part in paving the way to increase the numbers of women working in tech. Theres the obvious human side of things, making the industry more fair, pleasant, and inclusive,and making women happy.

But there’s also the fact that when women succeed, the industry becomes more productive; more representative of the consumer market which allows companies to better understand and meet their customer’s needs; and more diverse, which leads to increased innovation, an integral part of the tech field.

A 2015 study by McKinsey about women in technology found that organizations that have a diverse management team are more likely to have higher profits, “as much as 35 percent above their national industry median.”

So, what are some ways that men do, and can pave the way for women in technology ?

Being Mentors:
Being a mentor to qualified or talented female employee who shows promise.This will help her navigate a male dominated workplace, or a male dominated field (like tech) and in turn help her be a role model and mentor for other women, over time increasing the comfortableness of women, and thereby increasing numbers of women in the tech world. An Accenture study on women in the workplace found that women are equally as likely to feel comfortable, and benefit from female and male, advisors. Our previous post was the importance of role models in tech.

Making Women Feel Comfortable:
The tech industry is seen as having a “men’s club” atmosphere, according to a study done by Washington State University researcher Sapna Cheryan. This not only is uncomfortable and off-putting to many women, but it teaches men that women and their ideas and contributions are not valued in the workplace or classroom. This perpetuates a stereotype that is often intimidating or highly undesirable to women, in the workplace, and in classrooms.